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Order Of Infinity
"Solus Deus." An Order of Adepts founded on that which can never truly be described, the Order of Infinity is nothing less than the Order of God Himself. They are a large and powerful Order who develop their abilities through the Names of God. And just like God, the Infinite Order is ever-present and yet always mysteriously aloof... Aspect Of God: N/A (see 'Invocation' below). AKA: God's Own, the Infinite Order, the Order Divine, the Golden Order, the Prime. Paradigm: God. Facts: - The Order of Infinity is an Order of Adepts whose powers are not developed along Degrees but instead are channeled through the Names of God. The Infinity Adepts are easily one of the strongest of Adept Orders due to their awesome supernatural powers and they are considered to be the premier member of the Orders Elite. -Individual members are known as 'Theists.' -The Order of Infinity is known amongst its own members as the Prime Order. This is because, since all other Orders are based only on an aspect of divinity, they all exist as mere variations of the Order of Infinity. -The Infinity Symbol is a common logo of the Theists. Actually, any symbol associated with God, Infinity, Divinity or Supreme Being is a banner for the Order. -Infinity Adepts do not possess Degrees in the traditional sense, instead, they channel their power through Invocation. Within certain Names, a Theist may attain Degrees like a regular Adept, but overall the simply acquire new Names to develop supernatural abilities. -Other select Supernaturals are able to use the Names of God as well, but only some of them. Only the Infinity Adepts have opened their minds to all of God and have full access to all the Names of God. -In a real sense, an Infinity Adept is like an Ultra-Adept. They have access to all of God's Aspects. But there's a downside to this, it often takes them longer to master those powers which the other 'specialized' Adepts can acquire at a faster pace. -The Infinite Order is a diverse crowd with people from many (often opposing) viewpoints finding common ground within the Order. Many different personalities and skill-sets serve the Golden Order. -Anyone who calls upon one of God's Names is a friend of this Order. -Anger sometimes erupts between the Theists and their brother Adepts. For while other Orders strive to follow God under the umbrella of their own theological paradigm, the Theists explore God most intimately through the Names. They study at the feet of the Master, and their aloofness and inability to be pigeonholed into a single category often irritates the other Orders. -Blending of Traits = Adepts of other Orders follow a single Aspect and derive their overall nature from it. But Theists can follow an infinite number of paths thanks to their Holy Names. Imagine what an Adept would be like if they followed the Degrees of several Aspect Names, perhaps a mix of King, Trickster and Unknown? Theists truly come in a variety of forms and powers. -Idols represent finiteness, the spirit of denying the Infinite-Being. Because of this, Theists suffer from the effects of Idols especially so. -Because some Holy Names are from Natural Theology while others are specific to certain Tribes, the Order of Infinity is the only Order to be counted among both the Natural and Ecclesiastical Orders. -The Order of Infinity has a love/hate relationship going on with the Order of Priests. The Priests claim to speak for God, and that they are His mouthpiece, yet the Theists claim to walk with God and know Him better than any other. So naturally, both Orders have come to blows in the past when differences of belief or politics flare up. Priests have often claimed total authority over all Adepts, while Theists have flouted that authority as man-made. This doesn't mean that the two Orders are always at odds, in fact, they have worked together seamlessly at times, but it is a recurring grudge between the two groups by dint of their very nature. Invocation: Theists can use Invocation if they have Holy Names, Names which are so existentially empowered that the very act of speaking them affects reality itself. These Names are collected and protected by the Infinity Adepts who keep them listed in books whose sole purpose is to list the Names and their nature and effects. The powers of Invocation can be used by Storytellers to to accomplish any feat necessary to push the plot line ahead. A powerful Theist can accomplish supernatural effects of Biblical proportions. Notice that the Theists don't have Factions or Sects. This is because differentiation among the Infinite Order is already done according to what Names they have and use the most. For example, a Theist in a royal family will possess Names that are royal in nature, and thus possess powers like those wielded by the King Adepts. It needs to be stressed that Invocation is not magic, you don't put a coin into the machine and get the same thing out every time. Most Names, especially smaller, simpler ones, will produce the same effect time and again, but sometimes The Almighty might see fit to tweak the results and cause something different, for whatever reason. *If you're trying to create your own Holy Names but can't think up any new ideas as to what powers they cause, try visiting the Superpower Wiki for inspiration. Names for God is also a great source. '' ''*Simply reciting a Name will only produce a basic power of that Name. Mastering a Name of God means acquiring 'True Understanding,' which means knowing everything about that Name; it's history, it's connections, what it implies for other things, etc. Invocation and the acquiring of Knowledge go hand in hand, because the more understanding someone has, the greater their specific understanding of Holy Names. *Some Names have been banned by either the State or Church in the past, these kinds of Names are known as the Forbidden Names. *Invocation allows Storytellers and players to 'hijack' the systems of power or magic from other gaming systems and borrow them for use in an Adept story (or they could always make their own). Instead of magic, however, the characters would use the recitation of Holy Names. For instance, Lord of Flames would give a Theist access to powers of fire, etc. '' ''*To Invoke a Name, a Theist can either speak the Name or write it down or even draw a symbol representing it. *For alternative Names to use for fun, try using Spoof Names. *For numbers or symbols associated with the Divine, see Divine Concepts. Order Of Heroes: More than any other Order, the Theists have produced the most honest-to-God heroes and champions of the Light. From liberators to sages, from those who fight Infernals to simple reformers, the Order of Infinity has been the edge of the sword in the war against the Darkness. Often enough, when you hear tales of mighty heroes or wise leaders, men and women who accomplished great things and brought progress, you are hearing about the exploits of a member of the Infinite Order. Thirst For Knowledge: The more knowledge they acquire, the more likely they are to discover more about God, and thus gain new Names. This inbuilt feature of the Order of Infinity guarantees that they are listed among both the Scholastic and Arcane Orders. The common moniker Knowledge Is Power really does mean something when you are playing as a member of the Infinite Order. In terms of story-telling, expect to use Theists as members of religious or scholastic organizations. This won't be the case for all Theists, mind you, since some knowledge is best gained through physical experience, but it is often true that your average Theist will be an avid reader and probably a student of higher education. Historically, the belief in God or a Higher Power often coincided with the development of education. Most of the world's oldest schools began as places of religious studies, and religious organizations are known for founding academies, libraries and training programs. The Order of Infinity certainly has had a hand in that development. Solus Deus: The Order of Infinity is among those Orders of Adepts who draw their power from a Paradigm of supernatural entities. However, unlike these other Adept Orders who petition aid from what essentially amounts to third parties, the Theists of the Infinite Order draw their power solely from God (but do so under His various aspects). The Order of Infinity is about specializing in only God, and as such, they are disinclined to enter into close and personal alliances with outside parties like their fellow Petitioner Orders. Theists draw their power from God, and only from God. To rely on things like Saints, Pagan Gods, Eldritch or anything else would be a violation of the very basic premise underlying their entire Order. Unity Amid Diversity: God is infinite and omnipresent, which in practical terms means that all sorts of people with wildly different backgrounds have all found God under His many different guises. This is true just on our Earth alone, to say nothing of the wider Omniverse with its countless Realms and sub-dimensions. All of these people have the potential to produce Theists and this, in turn, means that the Order of Infinity can sport some wildly eccentric characters among their rank and file. Theists from one Realm might have worshipped God as the Primordial Being and they believe that only through blood-letting sacrifices can He be appeased. Meanwhile, other Theists might see God as the pinnacle of Mathematical perfection, or as the Machine God, the Great Mystery, or they could be superstitious Magick-users who see God as the Source Of All Power. This diversity of character and powers means that the Order of Infinity is highly adaptable, and can often shift its internal ranks to bring forth those Adepts best suited to deal with new and rising problems. Also, because the spirit of the Order is about finding God under all His Names, the Infinite Order has proven pretty good at getting its members to get along with each other, seeing Theists of different beliefs as cousins on a far-flung branch of the family tree (so to speak). Normally, having so many different types of people in an Order would spell disaster for their internal organizational makeup. However, the Order of Infinity has an amazing internal mechanism it uses to get around that nasty problem, and in doing so it has proven to be quite capable of organizing itself and leading its forces successfully. While the ranks of the Infinite Order are quite diverse, the one thing they all share in common is their connection to the Supreme Being, and the realization that He alone is in charge of the Order. Therefore, when He speaks, or when something outside the Order provides a threat, all Theists will fall in line to follow either His orders or to work together to deal with the threat. Higher Percentage of Veterans: People tend to draw closer to God towards the last half of their lives. This is conventional wisdom which most people acknowledge, and it plays itself out in the demographics of the Order of Infinity. Many of history's most famous Theists started out in other Orders but through the accumulation of wisdom and life experience, moved ever closer to the Infinite Order until they Converted. The Order of Infinity has plenty of people from all age groups, but meetings of the Order tend to show a noticeably higher percentage of Adepts with Veteran status being present. Divine Aloofness: the Problem of Free Will: The Order of God is known for being aloof and removed, even when its members are present on the ground. You'd think with the power of God Almighty backing your entire Order, the Theists would simply sweep all opposition against them off the proverbial playing board? But such is not the case. The age-old problem of God's absence, as well as the question of evil being present in the world, has had many answers proposed. But one of the more popular teachings, and the one most prevalent within the modern Infinite Order, is that of God's respect for free-will. Humans and other lesser creatures have the power to choose for themselves, and those choices play out across existence. If God were to step in every time an evil act was committed that would compromise free-will. And the Order of Infinity has always championed free-will. Natural Alliances: -Order of Celestials = Few Adept Orders are as tightly knit as are the Theists and Celestials! So closely do they feel they belong together that the two Orders frequently share the same Chantries. For any Order to open up its Chantry, its place of privacy and secrets is huge - to say nothing of leaving the doors open for another Order entirely. -Order of Gaia = God and Gaia are like husband and wife, mirror opposites and yet somehow destined for one another. The Nature Order and the Divine Order get along well and often work together on major projects, especially if it involves community building. -Order of Priests =These two Orders are naturally designed to cross paths frequently, and the Theists often rely on the support and social work of the Priests. However, the problem with Churches is that they tend to assume too much for themselves once they get large enough. The Divine Order and the Priestly Order usually get along, but they've had their rough patches. -Order of Fallen = The traditional understanding is that the Theists and Fallen are mortal enemies. And quite often, this is absolutely true. However, certain branches of the Dark Order see their vocation as something more complex than simply being God's enemies... they see themselves as God's Devils, putting self-proclaimed holy men to the test, or as freethinking champions who call out any authority (even God) when lesser creatures are suffering. While the two Orders will never truly be friends, they have on some occasions developed a respect for each other. Glossary of Terms: -Aspect Name = A Holy Name that denotes one of God's infinite number of Aspects. Aspect Names are the Aspects that found entire Orders of Adepts. -Historical Name = A Holy Name based on God's involvement in history. When Theists form organizations around such a Name, it is called a Chapter. -Location Name = The Name of a Location that is important to the subject of God, variation of Historical Name. -Metamorphic Names = These are Holy Names that change a person's physical build and nature if you attain high enough Degrees in using them. -Ordo = An organization based on a Name of God that is one of the Aspects that founds Adept Orders. All Aspects of God are Holy Names but not all Holy Names are Aspects. -Pragmatic Names = Names which make God immediate and useful to Adepts in their daily lives. -Specialty = A Holy Name can be a complicated thing, and many of them will take a lifetime (or more) to fully grasp. Theists are encouraged to choose one or a few Holy Names as their Specialty and dedicate themselves to mastering those Names before all others. -Symbolic Name = A Holy Name based on something that is symbolic of God, either by God's design or man's. When Theists form an organization around that Name, it is called a Society. -Tribal Name = Within the Names of God are the names of religions that are Theistic. They are listed with an external link to explain them and each of them will produce recruits for the Infinite Order. References: -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity -https://www.reddit.com/r/philosophy/ -https://philosophynow.org/Category:God